The Perfect Lie
by SMESWinchester
Summary: Merlin wakes up bloody and confused trapped in a Maze with no idea how he got. He forms an unlikely alliance with a young girl, Morgana, who is also hunted by the wrathful King Arthur for her magic. But as Merlin struggles to stay alive and find a way to get out of the maze he will find himself and everything he believes in tested in ways that could finally bring Camelot to ruin.
1. The Maze

It was cold. His limbs felt numb and heavy like ice had congealed in his blood freezing his limbs immobily against his outstretched body. His eyes fluttered glimpses of a silver light breaking through the darkness. Obeying some unconscious command he inhaled, the expanding of his lungs pressing painfully against his side.

Smells registered in his brain giving him some sense of the world around him. Moist earth. Slowly he moved to lift his head. Pain exploded across his chest, his body heaving as he gagged on the pain. His body had nothing left to give. The bitter taste of blood, made his head swim as the dried cracked skin of his lips broke open.

Tears burned down his cheeks as he laid huddled on the ground. His body shaking with each breathless sob that shook his thin body. And at that moment he wished he was dead. The pain was ripping through him with such ferocity it seemed to tear the skin from his bones.

Then something stronger flittered through the pain. A voice screaming his name. A hand reaching out for his. Fingers slipping through his own. A memory.

"Arthur." He croaked. The word burned in the back of his throat. He moved his tongue that seemed plastered to the roof of his mouth. Wiggling it slowly trying to work some moisture to the back of his raw parched throat. It helped a little. He took one more deep breath or as deep as he could manage with the constricting weight pressing tightly around his lungs. On three he told herself:

One.

Two.

Three.

He forced his eyes open. The silver light flittering in front of his eyes. Shimmering as it settled into a cold towering wall of stone. He let out a shaky breath, the cold air casting his warm breath in a hazy cloud from his lips. Gritting his teeth Merlin forced the pain down into a painful twisting knot in her stomach.

Groaning he moved to push himself to his knees. His arms shaking with the effort of such a simple act. His body trembling as his arms gave way and he collapsed back in a sputtering heap on the ground.

Merlin clinched his eyes shut. Digging his fingers into the cold ground. Forcing the pain down as it rose in a volatile wave to consume him. Tears burned long dark tracks through the blood that was caked to his cheeks. He had to get up. He had to. Even though his body was rebelling against him he had to be stronger. He had to will his body into obedience. He had to will his legs to work. Because he had to get up.

Slowly Merlin drew herself up, teetering unsteadily his head spinning but he kept going. And after several agonizing minutes he made it to his feet. Stumbling like a newborn foal his legs buckling widely beneath him as he found his footing.

He stood still for a moment. Clenching his eyes shut against the sea that was rolling in his head causing the world to heave under his feet. He thought he might be sick. Slowly he forced his eyes open, the dark grey of his iris swimming like a small pebbles at the bottom of an unsettled pound.

He didn't know where he was. On either side of him where towering walls of stone that rose into the dark clouded sky. The shadows were impenetrable only a weak beam of moonlight falling from the sky. He held out his hands they were covered in blood but whose blood?

Dropping his head he ran his unsteady hands down his chest. He was wearing a blue tunic, torn and stained in blood and mud. Pulling it up his chest was a pallid of nasty purple bruises. But that still didn't explain all the blood. Probing his fingers gently up his forehead he found a nasty cut on his left temple, his hair caked in blood.

Merlin stopped hearing unsteady footsteps approaching. He cast his eyes around looking for a weapon but the ground was clean. The footsteps were growing louder. Merlin knew he didn't have a lot of time. Taking an unsteady step back Merlin pressed his body up against the stone wall. He could just make out a figure bent forward and shuffling unsteadily forward.

She had a tall pleasing figure and was wearing a long white gown. The moonlight fell in a slanted beam across her pale soft features. Merlin took a deep breath, leaping out from the shadows he grabbed hold of her. She screamed as he threw her back against the wall.

His knees giving way Merlin collapsed feeling her arms lift him up. He lifted his eyes to meet hers. They were wide and panicked.

"Merlin?" She said almost in relief.

Merlin's eyes clouded in confusion. The panic sharpening in her eyes. "Merlin don't you recognize me?" She asked her voice trembling.

Merlin stepped back his eyes moving down her face as he shook his head. "No I'm sorry." He said.

The girl grasped him tightly. Her eyes finding the nasty wound on his head. Her brow creasing in concern. "You hit your head." She said.

"Oh yeah." Merlin said. "Am I suppose to know you?" He asked.

The girl nodded her head. "I'm Morgana, we're friends." She said.

Merlin relaxed. "Thank god." He said easing his grasp on Morgana. "Do you know where we are?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No I mean I woke up here just like you." She said.

"How long have you been here?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know." Morgana said pausing as the baying of hounds shook the night air.

"He's coming." Morgana said pulling Merlin with her.

"Wait, wait." Merlin said stopping her.

"Who?" He asked. "Who is coming? Who is doing this?"

Morgana spun around her eyes wild her hands grasping tightly to Merlin. "Arthur." Morgana said frantically. "King Arthur's he's imprisoned us here." She said pulling Merlin desperately as the baying of the hounds drew closer.

"I don't understand." Merlin said. "Why is he doing this?" He asked pulling Morgana around to face him. "I'm just a peasant boy from Ealdor. I'm a nobody. What would the King of Camelot possibly want with me?" He asked.

Morgana stopped. "Merlin he knows." She said.

"What?" Merlin stopped his lips barely framing the words.

"He knows about your magic." Morgana paused. " Our magic." She said. "He's imprisoned our kind here to punish us, torment us. We can not get out all we can do is survive." Morgana said.

Merlin took a step back casting his eyes up the trail where the hounds cries were growing louder. He felt Morgana's fingers slip through his own pulling him back.

"Merlin I know you're scared but you're going to have to trust me." She said.

Merlin turned back to face Morgana.

"Can you do that?" She asked.

Merlin didn't know this girl. But she knew him. She said they were friends. And it didn't seem like he had a whole lot of options. The King was going to kill them maybe together they had a chance.


	2. Body Without Bones

Disclaimer- I do no own BBC Merlin. And there is no slash!

Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming. I love hearing what you think. This chapter is from Gwen's POV. We will be getting back to Merlin and Morgana next chapter. I'm going to be updating this story weekly but when I can I'll be getting them up sooner for you.

Enjoy! And Live Long and Prosper, Friends.

* * *

><p>The chamber was dark. Light only by a single flickering candle that sputtered in a growing pool of wax that was drowning the shrinking wick. The long shadows fell darkly across Arthur's face accenting the hollowness of his cheeks and the dark bags under his eyes. He had collapsed on the table his arms cradling his head as he slept.<p>

Gwen entered the chambers quietly careful not make a sound. It had been so long since he had slept. For the past four days now he had survived on only a few hours a sleep a night. Slipping out of bed after he thought Gwen had fallen asleep and coming back in the wee hours of the morning before she woke.

He had spent countless hours here at this desk sifting through an overwhelming amount of reports from the patrols he had sent out to scour every inch of Camelot. And so far four days and nothing. There had been no sign of Merlin or Morgana. The patrols had turned up empty handed and Arthur was breaking.

Gwen stopped beside him. "Arthur." She said softly. Bending down she slipped her arms around him. "We should get you into bed."

Arthur groaned his eyes fluttering. Gently Gwen pulled him up to his feet, bearing his dead weight across her slender shoulders. Arthur's feet stumbled beneath him as Gwen lead him to bed but he didn't wake. His eyes remained closed his body relaxed in her arms.

Reaching the bed Gwen eased Arthur down pulling the covers around him. He reached out suddenly startling Gwen as he grasped her arm firmly. His hazy and unfocused eyes finding her face.

"You're too good to me, Merlin." He said his voice heavy and slurred. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Arthur fell quiet rolling over his eyes fell shut as he drifted back to sleep. Gwen looked down at him sadly bending down she kissed him on the forehead.

"We'll bring him home Arthur." She whispered.

Creeping back toward the desk the chamber door opened suddenly. Gwen spun around holding her hands out, desperate not to wake Arthur, to the guardsmen that well quite at the door. Gwen bent down blowing out the flickering flame of the candle before hurrying across the dark chamber pulling the guard out with her.

"I'm sorry, My Lady." The Guardsmen apologized bowing his head respectfully.

"It is alright." Gwen said leading him away from the chamber door. "It has just been so long since he has slept I feared waking him just yet."

The Guardsmen could see Arthur's pain reflected in his Queen's eyes.

"He cares deeply for him, doesn't he?" The Guardsmen asked not sure if it was really his place to speak.

"Yes." Gwen said drawing her eyes to the Guardsmen face a small smile pulling at her lips. "They are very close."

"Do you think he will be alright if-" The Guardsmen didn't say it but it was there hanging in the air.

Gwen stopped grasping his arm. "I think that if we can't bring him home, it might just kill Arthur." She said. Finally allowing herself to say the thing that she had tried to overlook. Without Merlin Arthur seemed to crumple like a body without bones. Some might think that made him weak but Gwen wasn't so sure. She felt that Arthur and Merlin were so closely bound together that one could not simply exist without the other.

That for Arthur to lose Merlin was like losing the ability to breath. Like being trapped underwater and not being able to surface. He was drowning and Gwen didn't think their love was strong enough to save him. Only Merlin could save Arthur and only Arthur could save Merlin. She knew that deep down even if sometimes it hurt to much to admit.

"Then lets pray we find him." He said drawing Gwen back.

"Yes." She said her voice far away as she pulled her hand from his arm and continued walking. The Guardsmen following her easy stride till they reached her chamber door. Gwen stopped turning back to face the Guardsmens her brow furrowing.

"What was it you came to tell Arthur at such an early hour?" She asked.

The Guardsmen reached hastily into his pocket pulling out a weathered piece of parchment. "Patrol just back from the White Mountains." The Guardsmen said handing Gwen the report.

Gwen took it her fingers shaking as she pulled it open her eyes running hurriedly across the small cramped handwriting. She stopped her breath catching as she moved back over the last sentence. Her eyes lifted to the Guardsman's face, her lips barely framing the words. "They found something." She said.

"My lady?" The Guardsman said stepping forward.

"The Patrol, two days from here in the White Mountains, they say they have found a labyrinth of stone guarded by company of Morgana's men." Gwen said.

"A labyrinth, my Lady what would Morgana want with Merlin in a place like that?" The Guardsmen asked.

Gwen shook her head as she spoke. "I do not know but it is the only news we've had of her in days. Its our best hope."

"Should we wake the King and tell him." The Guardsman asked moving back the way they had come.

"No." Gwen said stopping him. "Let him rest some more. He will need his strength. I will make preparations to leave in the morning.

"Is there anything I can do to help you, my Lady?" The Guardsmen asked.

"Run to the stables and have them prepare four horses, then wake Leon and Gwaine and tell them to be ready to leave at first light." Gwen said.

The Guardsmen nodded bowing before leaving on Gwen's errand. Gwen entered her chambers no longer tired still clinging to the parchment as she sent up a silent pray that wherever Merlin was he was alright.


	3. The Raven

Disclaimer- I do no own BBC Merlin. And there is no slash!

Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming. I love hearing what you think. I'm sorry this update is so late. I had a hard time getting this chapter right.

Enjoy! And Live Long and Prosper, Friends.

* * *

><p>Merlin had collapsed on the ground. His head resting back against a broken part of the wall. The shadows fell in long beams across his sallow face. Filling the hollow spaces between the sharply protruding bones of his face. Morgana was lying next to him, her head resting in his lap as she slept.<p>

The wind blew down from the dark clouds overhead carrying the cry of the hounds hunting somewhere deep in the maze causing goosebumps to crawl across Merlin's skin. He opened his eyes. Pushing back the sleep that was just creeping across his vision.

He reached down wrapping his trembling hand around Morgana's shoulder he shook her gently awake. She stirred her eyes fluttering open as she drew her body up.

"What is it?" She asked her voice still heavy with sleep.

"I think we need to keep going." Merlin said grimacing as he sat forward. "The longer we stay here the more likely they are to find us."

Morgana nodded her head pushing her hair out of her face as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "You shouldn't have let me sleep so long." She said reaching her hands out gently to help Merlin to his feet.

"Its fine." He said. "I knew how tired you were."

Morgana tilted her head slightly to the side. "We're both exhausted." She said.

Merlin smiled weakly. Swaying slightly as he reached his feet. Morgana holding tightly to him. "You can barely stand on your feet." She added.

"That's not because I'm tired." Merlin said running his hand over his stomach that was twisting painful in hunger.

"We need to find food." Morgana said. "We will not last long like this."

"Something tells me he doesn't plan for us to-" Merlin said stumbling into silence. A voice called his name echoing from the rock face. Merlin turned his head listening carefully.

"What is it?" Morgana asked.

_Merlin._ It called again.

"Do you hear that?" He asked.

Morgana's brow creased worriedly. "Hear what?" She asked looking around. But the voice seemed to grow clearer. Merlin moved toward it. No longer aware of Morgana's presence beside him.

_He does not deserve your loyalty. _

Merlin saw something black flutter out of the corner of his eye.

_He treats you like a slave._

Merlin spun around hearing the soft flutter of birds wings.

_He'd cast you aside without a moment's thought._

Merlin's eyes stopped as a raven settled beside him. Its eyes glowing gold.

"I don't understand?" Merlin stammered watching as the bird drew up its wings. Turning its head slightly as its beak parted as if to speak.

_It must hurt so much to be so put-upon, so over-looked._

Merlin swayed falling to his knees. His eyes burned gold. His lips parting in a breathless scream as his skin was light on fire. His wrists burned. A voice filled his head. Terrible screaming. People burning, so many people.

_I believed you. I trusted you and you made me look a complete fool._

Merlin gasped unable to draw breath. The image of a man standing over him. The torch light gleaming off his golden hair. His foot driving up into Merlin's gut causing his body to heave forward.

_My father and the entire Royal Court think I'm a coward. You humiliated me! _

Merlin's skin burned. It felt like he had been set on fire. He writhed, screaming. The pain was so great it felt like the skin was being peeled off his bones.

_You are nothing more than a serving boy._

A tear rolled down Merlin's cheek. Soft hands shaking his aching body. A choked panicked voice screaming his name. He forced his eyes open. Morgana's face swimming into focus.

"Morgana." He gasped breathlessly. "The bird it spoke to me." He said lifting himself up shakily. "My skin was burning, like I'd been light on fire. People were screaming. Children burning." His words jumbled together he was speaking so frantically. Tears rolling down his hollowed cheeks.

She tightened her arms around him. "Merlin you are safe." She said.

Merlin clung to her. "I trusted him, served him."

"We all did." Morgana said. "And he has betrayed us all."

"I was a fool." Merlin whispered his eyes falling closed as he collapsed weakly into Morgana's arms. Not able to forget the look in his Kings eyes as he had struck Merlin down. So much anger. So much hate.


	4. True Nature

Disclaimer- I do no own BBC Merlin. And there is no slash!

Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming. I love hearing what you think. I'm sorry this update is so late again. I got sucked into the vortex that is finals. But now that Christmas Break is here I hope to keep the updates timely.

Enjoy! And Live Long and Prosper, Friends.

* * *

><p>Merlin opened his eyes hearing the soft padding of the hounds feet on the wet earth. Its breath blowing in a hot cloud across the ground. He rolled over clamping his hand across Morgana's mouth. Her body seized awoke.<p>

_Its here. _Merlin said trying to calm her.

Morgana eased under his firm grasp. Their eyes watching the slow plod of the creatures feet in front of the low hanging lip of the cave. It stopped its toes flexing as it pressed it nose close to the ground. Blowing out a cloud of steam.

_I think it's found us. _Morgana said_._

_Just keep still. _Merlin said.

The creature turned drawing its nose closer to the entrance of the cave. A howl rose up from somewhere deep in the maze reaching a chilling crescendo as it fell into silence. Echoed by the hound that was standing just outside their cave. It dropped its head its paws pounding against the ground as it ran off into the shadow.

Merlin's body collapsed in relief his hand slipping back as a shaky breath escaped from his lips. "We should get moving." He said. "It could come back."

Morgana nodded her head rolling onto her stomach she pressed her body low to the ground, dragged herself underneath the low mouth of the cave. Merlin followed closely behind her. Gasping as his tender ribs were crushed under the full weight of his body. Morgana knelt down helping Merlin up as he came free.

"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

Merlin nodded his head leaning heavily against her. "Just give me a moment." Merlin said breathlessly.

Morgana turned to the sound of soft feet on the ground. "I don't think we have a moment." She said Merlin pushing himself resolutely to his feet.

He could see the hounds yellow eyes floating in the dark. Moving toward them.

"Morgana go." Merlin said.

"No Merlin." Morgana said clinging tighter to him.

"Morgana I'll be right behind you." Merlin said.

"If we are to fight, we will stand a far better chance together." Morgana said staying put.

Merlin stepped forward pushing Morgana behind him. The hound snapped its jaw stepping forward from the shadow. Its was a monstrous beast its head coming up to Merlin's waist thick powerful weapons rippling down its lean dark body. The hound leapt forward Merlin throwing his hand up his eyes burning gold hurled the hound into the stone wall. It yelped falling still to the ground.

Morgana spun around another leaping from the shadows and she dropped it just as easy. Spinning around as a fourth stepped down slowly from the stone face. But the third struck out from the shadows latching its fangs around Merlin's leg pulling him off his feet. Merlin screamed the pain washing over him as the hound's fangs sank deep into his flesh staining the ground in his blood.

"Merlin!" Morgana screamed. Spinning around reaching out for him as the hound leapt from the stone face driving her down. Its mighty body pinned her to the ground, its jaws snapping as she threw her hand up sending it flying back and with a sickening crack it fell dead.

Merlin was still screaming. Writhing in the hounds grasp as he struggled to get his leg free. Morgana scrambled to her feet throwing her hand out her eyes burned gold as the dog fell dead. Dropping to her knees she pulled Merlin's shaking body into her arms.

"Merlin are you alright?" She asked.

Merlin groaned falling back in her arms gasping for breath the pain making his head spin. He gritted his teeth forcing his eyes open.

"I don't-I don't know if I can stand." He said shakily.

Morgana bent forward pulling back the bloody shards of Merlin's pants leg. Turning her head she gagged, the revolting sight of Merlin's bone peeking up beneath the bloody mess of torn flesh and muscle.

"How bad?' Merlin asked breathlessly.

Morgana looked at him shaking her head. "Its deep Merlin, straight to the bone."

Merlin tried to lift himself up. "What are you doing?" Morgana asked.

"I need to get a look at it." Merlin said through his teeth.

"What good will that do?" Morgana asked.

"I might be able to help you bind it up." Merlin said.

"You're a physician?" Morgana asked her brow crossing perplexedly.

Merlin stopped looking at Morgana unsurely. "I don't think so." He said scoffing. "That's strange."

"What?" Morgana asked.

Merlin shook his head dismissively but Morgana wasn't about to let him blow it off that easy. "Was it another vision? Merlin be honest with me." She said gripping his arm tightly.

"Not like the first." He said trying to comfort her. "I just feel like I know what you need to do. Like I've been taught what to do." He said.

After a long pause Morgan asked. "So what should I do?"

Merlin paused for a moment closing his eyes. Pushing them open he leaned forward gingerly running his fingers down the extended form of his leg. "The bones not broken so thats good." Merlin said gingerly pulling back the strips of his pants soaked in his blood.

His head swam as he fell back against Morgana the pain flaring up in an agonizing wave that made his dark spots dance across his vision.

"Merlin." Morgana said worriedly clinging to Merlin.

"I'm fine." Merlin said weakly. Forcing his eyes open he looked at the tattered skin of his lower leg. "Help me take my tunic off." Merlin said. "We can use the material to bind the wound."

"Merlin, are you sure-" Morgana started to protest.

"Its the only way." Merlin said. "If we don't bind the wound I'll bleed out before I catch a cold." He said surely. "Its the only way I'm going to last any length of time with this wound."

Morgana relented. Merlin lifting his arms up over his head, Morgana grasped his tunic and pulled it in one fluid motion over his head. "You would tell me if you had another vision, wouldn't you?" Morgana asked.

Merlin gasped in pain goosebumps crawling across his bruised and exposed chest.

"Morgana-" He started to protest before she cut him off.

"You can't protect me if it means losing you. I need you Merlin. I always have." She said.

"Its always just been you and me, hasn't it?" Asked Merlin.

Morgana pulled her hand away, casting her eyes away from Merlin's. "Morgana?" Merlin said worriedly reaching out for her. "It hasn't always been just you and me Merlin." She said.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked. "I thought-"

"You remember only pieces." Morgana snapped cutting him off. "But I remember everything." There was a pain on Morgana's face that seemed to cut Merlin like broken glass. A pain that could never be healed.

"What did I do to you?" Merlin asked.

"You always believed in Arthur." Morgana said her voice turning bitter. "But your faith in him made you blind to his sins. You couldn't see what his Father had done to our people. What he continued to do." She paused drawing her eyes to Merlin. "You refused to see Arthur's true nature. You were so blinded by your love for him and the destiny you thought you shared you wouldn't listen to reason. I had seen the evil in his heart. I had seen there would never be room for magic in Camelot." Morgana's voice rose her hands trembling violently.

"He did something terrible to you, didn't he?" Merlin asked.

"You could say that." She said bitterly moving to began binding Merlin's leg but he reached out to stop her.

"I'm sorry." Merlin said. "I wish I could remember. But all I have are these pieces floating around my head. Things I almost remember. But I don't know what is real. I don't know how I feel about everything that has happened."

"It doesn't make you mad?" Morgana snapped. "Look at what he's done to us. Locked us in here like animals. You can't tell me you wouldn't kill him if you had the chance?" Morgana asked.

Merlin sat still for a long moment before nodding his head in agreement.

"I think I would." Merlin said.

Morgana looked almost in surprise at Merlin. "You would?" She said.

Merlin nodded his head more sure of himself. "If it came to it, I don't even think I would hesitate." Merlin said looking at Morgana fear swimming in his eyes.

"Does that make me a monster?" He asked. "I mean I know I loved him once and yet I'm willing to strike him down." Merlin paused as if struggling with something. "Its not only that I want to." Merlin said. "I would strike him down without a second thought and I think I would enjoy it." He said feeling suddenly sick.

"At least you have a reason." Morgana said.

"But does that make it right?" Merlin asked wringing his hands anxiously together as the wrestled with the memories twisting together in his mind. "A part of me wants to kill him. To make him bleed slowly. To be as scared as I am right now. A part of me wants to see him begging for life at my feet." Merlin paused taking a deep breath. "But I can't help feel that some part of me doesn't want that. That some part of me still wants to save him."

"You can't save him Merlin." Morgana said. "That's what I've been trying to get you to understand. You can't save everyone."

Merlin looked at her his eyes shining. "But I should be able to save him." Merlin said through gritted teeth. His head feeling like it was going to explode from the fragmented thoughts whirling so fast around inside him.


End file.
